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A 2nd Women’s World Cup Title Would Cement Japan’s Place Among Elite
Published: July 3, 2015
They were never a traditional powerhouse.
Before winning the World Cup in 2011, Japan had never overcome the quarter-final stage. Much of their progress goes down to coach Norio Sasaki, who took over in 2008.
To beat much more physical teams, Sasaki put emphasis on ball control, football smarts and concise passing, which produced a kind of tiki-taka effect. Japan were never the tallest, so they strove to be the smartest.
Japan now face another team with a height advantage in the United States. The Americans are on average two inches taller than the Japanese, per Mashable's Justin Wise, and the two play vastly different games. The U.S. are direct, in your face and brutal in the penalty area. Japan tread softly and kill opponents quietly.
Japan do not simply hoof up the ball and hope for a chance. Every pass is methodical. They are the most resourceful team in this competition.
And yet the Japanese have not been so convincing. They have dominated possession but not the scoreboard. They have won all six matches so far at this World Cup, but only by a single goal.
CFCnet's Tom Minton indicates that Japan even strung together 23 straight passes in one match, but a goal did not come at the end of it:
23 passes and a lack of end product? Are they talking about Japan or Arsenal here? #eng #lionesses
— Tom Minton (@tom_minton1) July 2, 2015 "I believe we can do a lot better, and we are all working hard on it," Japan defender Azusa Iwashimizu told FIFA.com.
Many of the players from the World Cup-winning team in 2011 still remain. Only one of ...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - International Football
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